Tom Sandoval Compares Scandoval To O.J. Simpson And George Floyd, Claims He Got “More Hate” Than “Convicted Rapist” Danny Masterson

Vanderpump Rules star Tom Sandoval recently reflected on life since news broke that he had cheated on his ex-girlfriend Ariana Madix with their co-star, Rachel “Raquel” Leviss, sparking a media phenomenon that was quickly dubbed Scandoval. While Madix has moved on to land commercial deals and a role on Broadway, Sandoval revealed in a new interview with The New York Times that the past year has been somewhat “frustrating” for the reality star.

When asked why he felt the cheating scandal became such a big deal, he likened it to O.J. Simpson‘s trial and the death of George Floyd, which sparked a mass social reckoning in the summer of 2020.

“I’m not a pop-culture historian really, but I witnessed the O.J. Simpson thing and George Floyd and all these big things, which is really weird to compare this to that, I think, but do you think in a weird way it’s a little bit the same?” he told the Times.

Sandoval later clarified his comments in a statement sent to Decider: “My intentions behind the comments I made in New York Times Magazine were to explain the level of national media attention my affair received.  The comparison was inappropriate and ignorant. I’m incredibly sorry and embarrassed.” 

While speaking to the Times, he also expressed that he experienced more backlash in the past year than That ’70s Show star Danny Masterson, who was convicted on charges of forcible rape in 2023.

“I feel like I got more hate than Danny Masterson,” he said, “and he’s a convicted rapist.”

As the Times noted in their reporting, Sandoval seemed to be communicating “the oddity of becoming the symbolic center of a nationwide discussion” by comparing Scandoval to other major news stories, while also revealing “just how much the experience had made him lose perspective.”

Sandoval also spoke at length about the backlash he’s faced and the opportunities he was denied because of the cheating scandal, but he maintained that he “fully fell in love. Like for real” with Leviss. According to the reality star, Leviss hasn’t returned his calls since June, even when he tried to reach out through her publicist.

“It’s frustrating because, you know, everybody cashed in. Everybody won on this,” he said. “The cast, the execs, the network — everybody made so much money. But I try to put it on myself, to make the best opportunity out of it that I can.”

At some points in the profile, Sandoval appears almost grateful for what the scandal did for Vanderpump Rules. “The scandal has made the show so big, it’s kind of cool and crazy,” he said. “Even though it’s negative and at my expense.”

Vanderpump Rules was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2023 for the first time in its 10 seasons. As The New York Times noted in their reporting, the show also became the most-watched series for 18-to-49-year-olds and drew in 12.2 million viewers.

Despite the backlash and his ruined reputation, Sandoval appears to have no intentions of leaving the show. In fact, he even expects Leviss to come back soon.

“What else is she going to do?” he asked.

UPDATE 2/21/24 at 9:18 AM ET: This piece has been updated to include Sandoval’s statement.